A memorial was erected Tuesday to remember "Steve" the security robot, which fell into a water fountain in Washington the day before, setting off a flurry of attention. (Photo courtesy of Michael Soong)

One day after a security robot toppled famously into a water fountain outside an office complex in Washington, an informal memorial was erected Tuesday in honor of the autonomous machine's brief tour of duty.

People laid colorful flowers and left behind letters at the spot where the robot had been based at Washington Harbour in Georgetown.

Steve was about four feet tall and oblong. He was a roving robot charged with keeping an eye on the business and retail complex. He was new to the job, with about a week under his belt. While on patrol Monday, Steve fell down some concrete stairs and into the ankle-deep waters of a fountain. He was eventually rescued.

Knightscope, a Silicon Valley start-up that made the robot, said the accident was "an isolated incident" and promised to deliver a new robot this week for free.

Photos of Steve's misfortune set off a flurry of online attention.

The memorial featured a photo of a candle with the words "Never Forgotten," a box of tissues, photos of people posing with the robot, several letters, a set of batteries (for the robot hereafter, perhaps) and what appeared to be a cassette tape.

An email sent to the office complex's tenants by the building manager noted that Steve's accident was "not an ideal situation," but promised that "When we re-deploy, we are aiming for less swimming on our patrols!"